Misconceptions Are Free (2)
Nam Cheolmin, analyst for the Gaon guild, checked the additional update details.
New monsters have been added.
‘Demon King Army Infantry’: Lv.350
‘Demon King Army Beast Cavalry’: Lv.400
‘Demon King Army Centurion’: Lv.420
‘Demon King Army Warrior’: Lv.420
……
“Whew.”
Alternating between the monitor and the update details, a sigh escaped him naturally.
The panoramic view of Frost captured by the scouting drone's footage.
It was only natural for a sense of hopelessness to prevail.
“Breaking through the gates isn't the end of it.”
Yes, they were already struggling just to breach the gates.
The real challenge began after the gates fell.
Look at the numbers of the Demon King Army waiting behind them.
Lv.350 monsters.
There had to be at least a thousand of them.
A scale incomparable to the time with Count Ascura.
But in a way, it made sense.
Nam Cheolmin glanced back at the update details.
“……The Demon King Army.”
Demon King.
If the boss monster was the king of demons,
then Frost falling wasn't so strange after all.
Nam Cheolmin shook his head.
He equipped his in-ear device.
Speaking to Gaon's executives, including Nam Taemin.
“Monsters are waiting behind the gates. No time to rest. Make sure to manage your health and mana properly. Don't get too hung up on the contribution quests.”
ZZZzt—
At that moment, the monitor screen cut out.
Nam Cheolmin's sigh deepened.
“Okay. Down to our last drone.”
True to their name, the Demon King Army was cunning.
As if refusing to reveal their information,
they had destroyed every scouting drone in sight.
“Still, count it as a bargain. Fortunately, their ranged attack capabilities don't seem that great.”
Now, Nam Cheolmin's only view left was the footage from his brother Nam Taemin.
But.
It's quiet.
Nam Taemin was different from usual.
As his brother, he could tell why.
The higher the expectations, the greater the shock.
Frost held great meaning for Nam Taemin.
In Arcana, he could even call it his hometown.
And now that hometown had been trampled.
Right before his eyes, vividly in reality.
The severed heads visible in Nam Taemin's view.
Nam Cheolmin could sense it.
His brother's silence was quiet rage.
So he added one more thing.
“Taemin, don't get too worked up. You know that, right?”
Whether that was possible, he wasn't sure.
Even he, just watching from the monitor, had trembling fingers.
Tension, anger, worry, anticipation...
A complex mix of emotions.
In a situation like this, who could stay completely calm...
……Probably only Hoyeol?
Based on what he'd shown so far,
he couldn't even imagine a tense Lee Hoyeol.
That thought made him curious.
“……I wonder if there's any progress on his end?”
Frost had a total of ten gates.
Gaon was positioned quite far from Hoyeol's side.
Such was Nam Cheolmin's shock upon accessing the internet.
“……I-is this the siege war I knew?”
Arcana's common knowledge, unmatched by anyone.
His analyst's common sense was crumbling.
*
Rumble—
The gates crumbling was the signal flare.
Thud thud—!
Led by Harkon, Jessica, and Enoch.
The Lion Heart Knights charged out like lightning.
The Shadow Mercenaries followed close behind.
I watched the scene for a moment.
They're strong.
In that instant, I could feel the gap.
No matter how disciplined the Demon King Army was,
they couldn't ignore the difference in class.
Whoooosh—!
Harkon's sword brimmed with sword aura.
As he swung, the formation collapsed immediately.
One strike, instant death.
The raised shields sliced like tofu.
“Charge!”
Thud thud—!
The enemy lines faltered.
The knights of the lion's heart didn't hesitate for a second.
They plunged into the Demon King Army,
rapidly thinning their numbers.
Stab—
No hesitation in their actions.
Slash—
Like lions spotting prey.
Crunch—
With hearts like lions.
Even against several times their number in the Demon King Army,
they showed no fear.
I was impressed anew.
Wow.
As expected of the empire's strongest knight order.
Even the Demon King Army couldn't match them in mass combat.
Yes, I was surprised anew, but.
The Lion Heart Knights were always amazing.
In that sense, the Shadow Mercenaries were unexpected.
Their total force, including leader Kichi, was just ten.
But it was obvious at a glance.
Each one is no ordinary fighter.
Systematic maneuvers? None, as Kichi said.
But each toyed with the Demon King Army on their own.
And now players joined in.
“We'll provide support too!”
“Much obliged, adventurers.”
“Healers, follow right behind! Treat the wounded first, regardless of guild or party!”
Of course, the players joined for contribution points.
Since they were on the siege side, they were allies.
Helping allies apparently affected contributions too.
In this harsh society, no favors without reason.
Everything was give and take, leading to cooperation.
I knew society well.
I can save mana.
Anyway, I was reaping the benefits.
I could step back a bit and observe the battlefield.
Thanks to that, the mana spent breaking the gates was regenerating.
In that brief respite, I calmly assessed the situation.
……No need for me to step in, right?
Above all, my reliable backup... no, my allies were overwhelmingly strong.
The emperor's final command, was it?
With goals of rescuing survivors and reclaiming Frost, the Lion Heart Knights brimmed with zeal.
Their morale was sky-high, incomparable to usual.
Plus the Shadow Mercenaries' combat prowess exceeded expectations.
However.
Assessing the situation doesn't mean...
I'll just stand back with folded arms.
Each of those Demon King Army soldiers was precious experience and contribution for me.
Of course, I needed to conserve mana as much as possible.
Thinking back to the Gluttony sin incarnation...
I'd poured all my mana into beating that lethargic bastard.
Even if I'd grown since, the opponent was a Demon King.
Thorough preparation never hurt.
So.
“Knowing when to advance and when to retreat.”
Conserve mana maximally,
while racking up substantial contributions,
without compromising Grandfell's pride.
I continued shamelessly.
“Such restraint is also part of proper procedure.”
……Getting more shameless by the day.
Really!
Yeah, let's gloss over the cringy lines.
The point was, what action fit that?
A riddle no one else could solve.
But not me.
I'd done it several times before.
Verification complete, no hesitation.
The process was swift as ever.
A search target all too familiar to me.
And skilled interference.
I thought as I manifested the magic.
Freebies, now that's my specialty.
Crunch—!
*
Frost was overflowing with spectacles.
Nearly ten gates where sieges were underway.
Top guilds assaulting each,
plus star players with celebrity-level popularity.
Just their footage was airing on dozens of channels.
So, among all those sights,
who drew the most attention?
The answer showed on the laptop monitor.
In the real-time viewership graph.
“……Director! We're number one in the time slot!”
The news burst in the silence.
VBC channel's ratings had broken 20%.
Considering it wasn't terrestrial TV,
the impact was at least double.
But no fuss.
Even President Nam Jinman, obsessed with ratings,
“Quiet. Watch that first.”
“Y-yes, sorry……”
No glance at the graph.
They were too immersed in the studio feed.
VBC, flexible with programming compared to terrestrial,
This special was directed by none other than Today Arcana's PD, Hyun Yongseok.
All thanks to his insistence.
“In one word, the Lee Hoyeol special.”
The Frost reclamation could take hours, even days.
Hyun Yongseok pushed for a special focusing solely on Hoyeol.
It was a gamble.
No matter how great Lee Hoyeol, fatigue sets in.
Why watch only him when changing channels shows something new?
Opposition in planning meetings.
But.
“Knew it. I……”
Those worries were unfounded.
Lee Hoyeol.
His exploits made viewers forget the remote.
It started strong.
Rumble—!
Gates crumbling in an instant.
Players clashing with Demon King Army.
Panelists couldn't hide their awe.
“……H-he took down the gate solo!”
“Unbelievable skill usage, even seeing it.”
“Right as I speak, Harkon's sword strike!”
“Beyond what players can match. That's……”
“Shadow Mercenaries joining right after. Expert, how do you rate them?”
“In Arcana, mercenaries are judged simply: by request fees. Shadow Mercenaries' fees are astronomical……”
“Ah! Right as I speak!”
Movement cut the explanation.
Silent Hoyeol manifesting magic again.
Crunch—!
The familiar sound revived memories.
“Yes! Lee Hoyeol means this!”
Stone pillars rising from the ground.
Back when Hoyeol first hit the media.
The skill that made people mistake him for an alchemist.
“The skill that saved Gaon and Inazuma from crisis!”
Manifesting stone pillars and walls,
halting cavalry charges, aiding Gaon and Inazuma—it was huge news.
So Hoyeol's actions made sense.
“Supporting strong allies. That's the idea, right?”
“Yes. Even if Lee Hoyeol is strong, there's still a huge gap between players and Arcana natives……”
“Aah! Right as I speak!”
Explanation cut again.
Inevitable, with that sight.
Panelists stammered at the screen.
“……W-what skill is that? Expert?”
“N-no idea. First time seeing it too?!”
“Viewers, do you believe this?!”
Amid rising dust,
what emerged was.
“St-stairs! Lee Hoyeol has……!!”
Dozens of stone stairs linking to the walls.
Players climbing them.
And not just that.
Whoosh—
Demon King Army's ranged attacks incoming.
Crunch—
Gigantic barriers rising in response.
Even a step back from the front,
Hoyeol's impact was too vast for mere support.
If anything, it was more like...
“He's perfectly ‘commanding’ the battlefield……!”
A commander totally controlling and orchestrating the flow.
Panelists marveled again.
“Not just players. Leading Lion Heart Knights and even Shadow Mercenaries. Unbelievable!”
“Looking again, that outfit kinda screams conductor……”
“How do contributions work here, expert?”
“It's like everyone's just spooning from Lee Hoyeol's table. He must be racking up massive points!”
Another question arose.
How had Lee Hoyeol with such ability stayed quiet until now?
We still couldn't even guess his class.
The host spoke sincerely.
“Truly, the moment his past becomes intriguing!”
*
Current Contribution: [Checking...]
The quest window blinked ceaselessly.
I checked my current contribution.